


Safe

by Lusieluz



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 20:56:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21326560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lusieluz/pseuds/Lusieluz
Summary: You wake up from a sleep plagued by nightmares, reminiscing the torture you had been through at the hands of the O'Driscolls. Arthur decides to try and calm you down.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 79





	Safe

Fear flowed through your body together with a searing hot pain, sweat making the shirt cling to your back, almost suffocating. You sat up on your cot, an echo of your previous terrified screams escaping your dry lips. The dream flooded your head, vivid images and retorted voices and pain, so much pain it almost felt like the dream had been a reality that had occurred a few minutes ago.  
It took a moment before you realized; you had screamed yourself awake.

The flap to your tent was abruptly pushed aside and Arthur rushed inside, looking startled and with mild panic at your trembling body. The late evening had surrounded him in darkness however, hiding his face and contours and allowing your mind to race again, back to the dream and its horrors. It was like a reminder of your state and the wound on your side ached. Your breathing grew heavier as you panicked, another scream building up.

‘’Hey now,’’ he whispered and approached you, hands in front of him to show that he won’t hurt you, before taking you into his arms. ‘’It’s okay, it’s okay.’’ Your scream died down but your body trembled worse than ever as tears rolled down your cheeks, catching in your throat until it almost hurt. You just shook your head and wept, tense against Arthur’s warm body. He sat on your cot with his arms around you, shushing you with a gentle voice and rocking you lightly back and forth.

‘’You’re safe,’’ he whispered and put a hand on your neck, gently stroking the hair and skin in calming circles. ‘’You’re safe.’’

‘’Dream-’’ you whispered between sharp sobs, trying to focus on his calming hand. Arthur only hushed you with a low and tender voice, knowing well what you were talking about.  
It had been less than three days since the gang had saved you from the O’Driscoll Boys, after having been their prisoner for well over a week. They had done unspeakable things to you, trying to get information about Dutch and the gang. However, you had been faithful to Dutch for more than five years and would continue on being so, resulting in you not uttering a single word that had anything to do with the name Van der Linde. It had been long days with beatings, cuts, whiplashes, burning and starvation. You were close to give up, to hope for death when Arthur managed to find their hideout and rescue you, together with a few other gang members. The O’Driscoll guarding you had refused to die without a fight and had set his mind to take you with him in death, stabbing you in the side before Arthur managed to shoot his head off. The memories made you break into another round of tears.

‘’It’s alright,’’ Arthur whispered and pushed you gently back on the cot, arms still clasped securely around you as he followed. He held you close to his chest, careful not to touch the stab wound, one hand stroking your back. ‘’I’ve got you. You’re safe.’’  
You calmed down a bit, feeling the gentle motion on your back and being held so closely and dearly. At last, your sobs turned into your normal, calm breathing.

‘’There,’’ Arthur mumbled as he rested his chin lightly against your forehead. ‘’You’re strong, y/n.’’

‘’It was so horrible,’’ you spoke quietly in a broken and shaky voice.

‘’I know, darlin’,’’ he whispered and hugged you tightly. This time, you hugged back and embedded your head into his chest. You could hear his heart, a steady and calm thumping.  
‘’But you’re safe now.’’ When you didn’t answer, Arthur placed a soft kiss on your forehead. At once, the memories and thoughts were gone, if only a mere second, but for that second the kiss was the only thing on your mind, how it left a comfortable burning spot on your forehead and how your cheeks turned rosy for a moment.

‘’Do you hear the horses outside? Our horses,’’ he said and sure, you did; they were walking around in the grass, eating and sometimes neighing. ‘’Listen to the folk outside, our family.’’ They were talking in low voices, somewhere you heard Uncle’s voice taking tone in another song full of profanities. Further away, presumably around the table, you heard Tilly and Hosea chuckle as she accused him of cheating in dominos.

‘’You hear Sean trying to get Karen into bed with him?’’ You chuckled at his words and shook your head, now aware of the young man trying to lure Karen into bed with his drunken slurs whilst wishing a bit that you hadn’t heard them. ‘’That damn fool.’’

‘’Jeez, Arthur,’’ you mumbled and felt him smile against your forehead. A faint smile made its way onto your lips as well.

‘’My point is,’’ he continued, ‘’you’re surrounded by folk who love and care for you. Your family, y/n. Our family, they’re out there.’’ He nodded towards your tent’s entrance.  
You let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding in and felt yourself relax more and more.

‘’We ain’t perfect, but we’ll do everything to protect you.’’ He placed another soft kiss on your forehead.

‘’I know,’’ you whispered and hugged him tightly. ‘’Thank you, Arthur.’’

‘’Any time, kid.’’ He fell silent and you relished in the moment, his heat warming you and making you feel safe. This moment of pure bliss managed to push aside the dream and the memories for a bit.

‘’Can you stay with me tonight?’’ You suddenly broke the silence with your smooth yet nervous words. Arthur started working his hand on your back again, stroking in gentle and soothing circles.

‘’Of course,’’ he said and together you listened to the outside world, the feeling of being safe and secure together with the low voices of the gang members lulling you to sleep. At last, you were warm and cared and loved for. You were home and you were safe.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! comments and kudos always appreciated :)
> 
> Find me on tumblr as well! @cowboys-and-cowgirls


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